Mountain guide Dawa Sherpa, 52, was discovered alive on Thursday after vanishing in the Everest region for several days.. He had been leading a Polish climber when he went missing on May 29, and a cleaning crew spotted him crawling near base camp before a rescue helicopter flew him to Grande Hospital in Kathmandu.

Cleaning crew of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee spots Dawa Sherpa

The team that found the guide belongs to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, the body that installs and later removes ladders, ropes and other climbing infrastructure each season. According to the report, members of this crew saw Sherpa crawling down the snowy slopes around base camp on Thursday morning and immediately helped him to safety, providing food and water.

Helicopter evacuation to Grande Hospital after a delayed search

After being rescued on the ground, a Nepalese helicopter lifted Dawa Sherpa to Kathmandu, where he was admitted to Grande Hospital for treatment. The article notes that an aerial search earlier in the week had failed to locate him, highlighting a lag in mobilising a dedicated search team.

Everest’s busiest climbing season ever sees over 1,000 summit attempts

May 2024 marked the most crowded climbing season on Everest, with more than 1,000 climbers and guides attempting the summit, according to the source... the surge in traffic puts additional strain on rescue resources and underscores the risks faced by local Sherpa guides like Dawa, who work for small Kathmandu‑based outfit Himalayan Traverse .

Who was Dawa Sherpa’s client and why did he not reach base camp?

The missing guide was accompanying a Polish climber, who ultimately made it to base camp while Dawa did not. The source does not explain why the guide was delayed, leaving open questions about equipment failure, weather conditions , or possible injury.

Unanswered details: exact cause of the delay and the Polish climber’s status

Two key points remain unclear: what specifically caused Dawa Sherpa to stray from the route and become lost, and whether the Polish climber required any assistance after the guide’s disappearance. The report provides no further comment from the climber or the guiding company.